Co-Founder & Real Estate & Asset Lead

Sanabil Studio is a venture builder that blends industry expertise, technology, and startup know-how to turn bold ideas into real businesses. We take concepts from zero to launch, and when a venture proves its potential, we back it with seed funding and hands-on support to help it scale.

At Makan, we believe homeownership in Saudi Arabia should be built on real equity, not just rent. Through a rent-to-own model, residents move in with a 10% down payment instead of the 30% banks require, build real equity every year through their rent, and use that accumulated equity to refinance into a standard bank mortgage if they qualify at year five.

We are the founding team building Makan from a validated thesis to signed assets, signed investors, and a functioning company, with Sanabil Studio providing the financial model, pre-seed capital, operational backbone, and institutional governance behind us.

About the Role
We're looking for a highly experienced Real Estate & Asset Lead to co-found Makan and own the asset side of the business end-to-end.

This role is responsible for valuing and onboarding residential assets, building the operational infrastructure to manage a growing portfolio, and forming the developer and landlord relationships that supply it. You'll work closely with a Capital & Finance co-founder, and with the Sanabil Studio Investment Committee, to turn a validated model into a real, scaled portfolio.

THE ROLE: What you'll own here.

• Source, value, and onboard residential or income-generating assets.

• Underwrite individual units and form a clear view on price, condition, and resale value.

• Build and run the operational infrastructure to manage a growing portfolio of units, vendors, maintenance, OpEx, and vacancy.

• Negotiate distribution and asset-supply agreements directly with developers and landlords.

• Help define and execute Makan's go-to-market and capital strategy alongside your co-founder.

• Present progress regularly to the Sanabil Studio Investment Committee.

• Recruit and lead Makan's founding team across commercial, operations, and product functions.

• Set the culture and operating rhythm from day one.

THE PROFILE: You're probably a fit if...

• You have 8+ years of experience in real estate asset management, valuation, or investment at a REIT, real estate fund, or institutional asset manager (e.g. Alinma Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, Jadwa, Riyad Capital, or a comparable REIT/fund manager).

• You have personally valued, underwritten, or managed a portfolio of multiple residential or income-generating assets, not a single deal.

• You deeply understand how appraised value, market appreciation, and loan-to-value interact and how banks treat these at refinancing.

• You have led or built a function before: an asset management team, a valuation desk, or a property portfolio.

• You deeply understand the Saudi real estate market pricing dynamics, developer landscape, and buyer behaviour across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

• You communicate clearly and directly with developers, landlords, appraisers, and internal teams.

• You are currently based in or willing to relocate to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Nationals preferred.

Bonus: Direct relationships with 5–10 major developers or REGA-licensed brokerages; experience with REGA frameworks, Ejar contracts, or SPV-held real estate structures; prior experience working with or inside a venture studio or venture builder.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE: Within the first year, you'll...

• Have sourced, valued, and onboarded a growing pool of residential assets.

• Have built a functioning operational rhythm for portfolio and vendor management.

• Have secured developer and landlord relationships that reliably supply new assets.

• Be recognized by the Investment Committee as a credible, independent asset leader.

• Be working independently with minimal supervision alongside your co-founder.